Fuel economizer and air cleaner for motor vehicles



Filed Jan. 1'7, 1948 E SMITH ETAL FUEL-ECONOMIZER AND AIR-CLEANER FOR MOTOR VEHICLES Patented Feb. 6, 1951 FUEL ECONOMIZER'ANDJAIROLEANER :Fon- MOTOR VEHICLES Ellis: Smith; Bradford, Sydney Naylor, Wibsey,

Bradford; and .-H arold J. Maw, Guiseley, England;

Application January 17, 1948; Serial No; 2,8445 In GreatsBritain January :13; 19.47

6 Claims. 1

The invention;relates J to airy-admission devices.

for the carburettersotmotor vehicles" of the kind" comprising a conical or funnelemouthedtubular member, adapted to 'be located behind-the,=radia+ tor of a.motoryehicleinsuch manner that the larger inlet end oftheimember isopposed to the hot air stream induced through a radiator by the cooling fan, whilst the smaller-diameter portion is connected to the primary-air inlet to the. carburettor. A filter is incorporated between-the inlet to and the outletend: of the-v device, in the form ofa tubular memberofgauze or equivalent perforated material of such smaller diameter than the outer memberofthedevice as to constitute between. itself andthe'said: outer member an annular space of: suitable thickness-r area. Provision is made for the: ejection from the de.-.- vice of any dirt or grit carried in by the air stream.

It has beenfound'inipractice; that'whilst adevice of the construction above referredto. functions quite efiectively in reducing fuel consump tion and increasing the power obtainablefrom' an engine, there is a tendency, in somezvehicles in which the devices havebeenxapplied; for-undesirable noises to be .set up by the inrushing air; especially when the engine. throttle is opened quickly to obtain rapid acceleration.

It is an object oi the presentinventionto'modia fy and improve upon the constructionabove described in such a manner asito avoid'the'noises referred to.

According to the invention there lSZ'PI'OVldEd; within the tubular filter of'a deviceofstherconrstruction described, an int'ernal baffi'e tube chappropriately smaller diameter thanv the filter Y and extending longitudinally within it from? the in let end to a pointsuitably distant fromtheclosed end of the filterorrof'the outer" memberi'as: the case may be, the inlet'end of the'baflle tubexbein'g supported by or being made. integral with the frust'o-conical member which supports the inlet end of the filter. In the annular space between the baffle tube and the filter there-is provided; at a suitable point'in the'length ofv thebafil'etube, a perforated division ring preferably: of frustoconical form, the smaller diameter end of such ringresting'on or being secured to the tube whilst its larger diameter end rests against or is secured to the interior surface of the filter.

In the accompanying drawing,

Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation ofa constructional embodiment of the inventioninwhich the outlet from the device to thecarburetter is in the side wall of the outer member of the whilst Fig. 2 shows; diagrammatically, an embodiment in which theoutlet opening from thedevice is coaxial with the outer member, filter and baffle tube of the device.

device, U

Mil

Referring to. the drawing, a represents a; tu-v bularz outermember having a conical or funnel mouthed inlet a; The outlet from the device,

leading to the carburettor of thevehicle to which- In. the em-.

the deviceis' applied s shownata? bodiinent shown-in 1, the annularfilter mem' ber; indicated at bis-closed at its inner end-by animperforatedomed memberc providedwith acentral outlet c. The baffle ;tube is shown at-d; Its. outerend is flared outwardlyand secured Withinthe frustoconical:inlet a of the. outer member a; whilst its inner end, which terminates a.-

suitable distance from the domed member:c, is or: may be turned-outwardly back upon-itself at a suitable radius as at d to form a curveddirecting surfacefor theair stream. The division-ring} the; annular space. between-the filter andthe outer member, from whenceit-passestothe out-- let a ifwdesired, throughorifices-f in.--a-.plater-,f.

Grit. or; other foreign matter carried into the device by the air stream is expelled throughthe opening 0', and is thus prevented from-clogging the filter.

If desired,- there may be provided'inthe space between the baflle tube-and the'fi'lter; on the outer side. of 'the'division ring e, an annular perforated ring g,-the function ofwhichisto assist in breakingnp the air stream.

The construction shown inFig. Z-is-substantially: similar to that 'ofJFig. 1!- with the.-.exceptionnthat'the outlet opening h'to the carburetter iswformed in the end of the outer-member: a; whilst the expulsion opening forgritor other foreign matterisformedr-in the side wall of the membena: The; closed end of the filter maybe imperforate or, may be perforated as may be pree ferred z Havingthus described our-invention, whatwe doiclaim; as new. andxdesire tosecure by Letters Ratent'is:

1. Arfueleconomizerrand airrcleaner for a motor vehicle; including the; combination, with a. tu-.- bular. outer member, of "a. widely: open-inlet per;-

' tionuforrhing the. outer end thereof a substan? tially tubular filter member spaced concentrically within the -tubular I outer member and having a partly-closed inner end; the tubular outer memher having an outlet port in oneportion thereof; a substantially cylindrical 'baffle tube spaced concentrical1yw-ithinthe'filter member andtermh mating with its inner end spaced a predetermined distance from the inner partly closed end of said f 3 filter member; and an integral flaring outer end on said baffle tube disposed in contact with the outer end of said filter member and mounted with its outer end in stationary contact with part of the widely open inlet portion of said tubular outer member in order to close the outer end of the space between said tubular outer member and said filter member.

2. A fuel economizer and air-cleaner for a motor vehicle, including the combination, with a tubular outer member, of a widely open inlet portion forming the outer end thereof; a substantially tubular filter member spaced concentrically within the tubular outer member and having a partly closed inner end; the tubular outer member havin an outlet port in one portion thereof; a substantially cylindrical baffle tube spaced concentrically within the filter member and terminating with its inner end spaced at predetermineddistance from the inner partly closed end of said filter member and turned or doubled back outwardly upon itself to present a curved directing surface for guiding the air fiow within the device towards the filter; and an integral flaring outer end on said bafiie tube disposed in contact with the outer end of said filter member and mounted with its outer end in stationary contactwith part of the widely open inlet portion of said tubular outer member in order to close the outer end of the space between said tubular outer member and said fiiter member. a

3. A fuel economizer and air-cleaner for a motor vehicle, including the combination, with a tubular outer member, of a widely open inlet portion forming the outer end thereof; a substantially tubular filter member spaced concentrically within the tubular outer member and having a partly closed inner end; the tubular outer member having an outlet port in one por tion thereof; a substantially cylindrical baffie tube spaced concentrically within the filter member and terminating with its inner end spaced a predetermined distance from the inner partly closed end of said filter member; a perforate plate disposed within the filter member in the path of air traveling from the inlet portion toward said filter member and said outlet port; and an integral flaring outer end on said baffle tube disposed in contact with the outer end of said filter member and mounted with its outer end ln'stationary contact with part of the widely open inlet portion of said tubular outer member in order to close the outer end of the space between said tubular outer member and said filter member.

4. A fuel economizer and air-cleaner for a motor vehicle, including the combination, with a tubular outer member, of a widely open inlet portion forming the outer end thereof; a substantially tubular filter member spaced concentrically within the tubular outer member and having a partly closed inner end; the tubular outer member havin an outlet port in one portion thereof; a substantially cylindrical baffle tube spaced concentrically within the filter member and terminating with its inner end spaced a predetermined distance from the inner partly closed end of said filter member; a perforate plate of greater area than that of the cross section of the outlet port disposed within the filter member in the path of air traveling from said inlet portion toward said filter member andsaid outlet port; and an integral flaring outer end on said baffle tube disposed in contact with the outer end of said filter member and mounted with its outer end in stationary contact with part of the widely open inlet portion of said tubular outer member in order to close the outer end of the space between said tubular outer member and said 'filter member.

5. A fuel economizer and air-cleaner for a motor vehicle, including the combination, with a tubular outer member, of a flaring frustoconical inlet portion forming the outer end thereof; a substantially tubular filter member the filter member and terminating with its inner end spaced a predetermined distance from the inner partly closed end of said filter member; an annular perforate ring surrounding the cylindrical baffle tube out of contact therewith and spaced intermediate the latter and the filter member in concentric relation thereto; a perthe filter member in the path of air traveling from said inlet portion toward said filter member and said outlet port; and an integral flaring outer end on said baffie tube disposed in contact with the outer end of said filter member and mounted with its outer end in stationary contact with part of the flaring frusto-conical inlet portion of said tubular outer member in order to close the outer end of the space between said tubular outer member and said filter member.

6. A fuel economizer and air-cleaner for a motor vehicle, including the combination, with a tubular outer member, of a widely open inlet portion carried thereby and terminating thereby; a substantially tubular filter member spaced concentrically within the tubular outer member and having a partly closed inner end with a limited rear opening therein for ejection of foreign materials carried into the device by the air stream; the tubular outer member having an outlet port in one portion thereof; a substantially cylindrical bafiie tube spaced concentrically within the filter member and terminating with its inner end spaced a predetermined distance from the inner partly closed'end of said filter member; and an integral fiaring outer end on said baffle tube disposed'in contact with the outer end of said filter member and mounted with its outer end in stationary contact with part of the widely open inlet portion of said tubular outer member in order to close the outer end of the space between said tubular outer member and said filter member.

ELLIS SMITH. SYDNEY NAYLOR. HAROLD J. MAW.

' REFERENCES CITED The'following references are of record in the file of thispatent:

FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 386,53"!v France M Apr. 13, 1908 526,138 Germany June 2, 1931 

